


Across The Sea

by linnetbird



Category: James Bond (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, Sherlock (TV), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Coulson Lives, Crossover, Fix-It, Gen, I Don't Even Know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-17
Updated: 2012-10-17
Packaged: 2017-11-16 12:50:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/539620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linnetbird/pseuds/linnetbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It was down to you, you know.'<br/>'I'd like to wholeheartedly disagree, sir.' Phil Coulson pulled himself upright in his hospital bed, scratched at his stitches and tried not to roll his eyes.</p><p>Where a very not dead Phil Coulson receives a job offer, or two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Across The Sea

'It was down to you, you know.'

'I'd like to wholeheartedly disagree, sir.'

Phil Coulson pulled himself upright in his hospital bed, scratched at his stitches and tried not to roll his eyes. In an uncomfortable looking chair to his left, Fury fixed his wounded agent with a one eyed glare, and carried on speaking.

'Regardless of what you think, Agent, the reason the many disparate parts of the Initiative finally pulled together was due in no small part to your 'death'. If we were to reveal now that...'

'That you manipulated them into fighting an alien invasion that nearly got them all killed and wiped out most of Manhattan?'

The director tilted his head to one side. 'That's a direct way of putting it, but I can't dispute your accuracy. If they were to find out about our _entirely necessary_ deception, there might be some repercussions that would impact on the future of the Avengers Initiative.'

Coulson did raise an eyebrow at that.

'Sir, with all due respect, the Initiative would implode, and probably take out what remains of the island of Manhattan.'

'Again, your statement is accurate.' Fury stood up, and clasped his hands behind his back, turning to gaze out of the window. Two hundred feet below, the city of New York was pulling itself together and sweeping debris from its battered streets.

'Rumour has it that the good Captain was on the streets with the people this morning, sweeping up debris and helping little old ladies over rubble strewn sidewalks.'

Coulson said nothing in response, and Fury cast an eye over his shoulder.

'You don't believe that, Agent?'

'I do, sir. I'm just surprised that you don't. You met the man behind the shield too. It may not be fitting for Captain America, but it's exactly what Steve Rogers would do.'

Coulson tapped his fingers on the table at his side.

'Speaking of Captain America...'

Fury turned and shook his head in exasperation. ' Yes, Phil. I'm working on it. I should have a full set by the end of the month.' The director crossed the room and laid his hand on Coulson's shoulder. 'And I'll have them sent to wherever you decide to go.'

'Sir...'

'Damn it, Phil! You can't stay in Manhattan, and you know it! Stark has eyes everywhere, Barton IS everywhere, and if Agent Hill hasn't figured this out yet, she's not the woman I recruited.'

Fury and Coulson looked at each other in silence for a long moment. Fury's face, blank as it was, spoke of relief, loss, regret, and an unwavering belief that what he was doing was right, and he wasn't going into be swayed, no matter how much Coulson argued against him.

Silently, with more than a tinge of regret, Phil Coulson bid an internal farewell to his life, and squared his shoulders.

'What are my options, sir?'

'Well, we could try to blend you into the local populace, but I'm reluctant to lose one of my very best to a life unworthy of his skills.' Fury cast a quick glance out of the window of Phil's room. Two figures stood in the hallway, clearly waiting for somebody.

'There are other... organisations who would be interested in talking to you. The representatives of two of which are outside right now.'

Coulson shifted in his bed and looked more closely at the figures outside.

One was a tall, well dressed gentleman, wearing a three piece suit and carrying what appeared to be an umbrella. He face was carefully blank, but his eyes were taking in everything around him. Clearly aware of being scrutinised, he tilted his head towards Coulson's window in salute.

 At his side was a older, still beautiful woman clad in cream, with a short cropped white hair and a vaguely familiar expression on her face. It took Coulson a moment to place it as a variation of Natasha's patented 'screw with me and I can kill you without even trying.'

'And they are...?'

'Two agents - possibly - from British Intelligence. The older woman is very clearly the head of ... something, and will only give me an initial as her name, though her identification checks out on every possible level. The gentleman with the equally impressive credentials has at least had the decency to make up a full code name, though not enough decency to make it believable.'

'Are they from the same agency?'

'Apparently not. Both insist that they work for Her Majesty's Government, and yet they are both clearly battling each other for your acquisition.'

Coulson watched as the elegant woman sneezed, and the gentleman offered her his crisply folded handkerchief with barely a moment's pause.

Fury rolled his eyes. 'In a passively aggressive, excessively polite British kinda way, of course.'

Coulson  pulled himself further upright and nodded once. Fury walked to the door and waved  to the waiting pair. Sweeping his umbrella to the side, the tall gentleman dipped his head to the lady at his side , allowing her ahead of him. She dipped her head regally and smiled slightly, clearly declining his offer. He smiled in response, and held out an arm to her. She rested a perfectly manicured hand on the sleeve of his crisp grey suit and the two strangers walked silently into Coulson's room.

Fury looked as if he was thinking of re-enacting the Boston Tea party, but he breathed slowly once to control his temper, and turned back to Coulson's bed.

'Agent, these people would like to speak to you about the possibility of being a SHIELD liaison to the British Government. This is - apparently - a woman named simply 'M', and a gentleman who goes by the name of Mycroft Holmes.'

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I have no idea. I blame the new Bond movie, waiting too long for series three of BBC Sherlock and Joss, because, really, everything is his fault in some way or another.


End file.
